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Enigma Front: ONWARD
We’re living in troubling times. World leaders squabbling like schoolchildren on Twitter. Persistent grim economic forecasts. Unprecedented environmental disasters. Avocado toast.
It’s rough out there.
Featuring 21 stories from members of the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association, ENIGMA FRONT: ONWARD turns a hopeful eye to the future and the past, to worlds real and imagined. Worlds in peril, worlds in their prime, and worlds on the edge of rebirth. Worlds inhabited by curious aliens and helpful Fae folk, by Golden Age heroes and rebellious robots, and by the regular people doing their best to get through it all.
Now... ONWARD!
It’s rough out there.
Featuring 21 stories from members of the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association, ENIGMA FRONT: ONWARD turns a hopeful eye to the future and the past, to worlds real and imagined. Worlds in peril, worlds in their prime, and worlds on the edge of rebirth. Worlds inhabited by curious aliens and helpful Fae folk, by Golden Age heroes and rebellious robots, and by the regular people doing their best to get through it all.
Now... ONWARD!
277 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 7, 2018
1 person is currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
Chris Patrick Carolan
13 books28 followersCHRIS PATRICK CAROLAN is an author, editor, and hovercraft enthusiast, originally from Glasgow but now based in Calgary, Alberta. He writes science fiction, fantasy (urban and epic), steampunk, and horror, though he has also been known to turn to crime to make ends meet. Crime fiction, that is. His first novel, THE NIGHTSHADE CABAL, was published by Parliament House Press in 2020, and was a finalist for the Crime Writers of Canada Awards of Excellence ‘Best First Novel’ award.
He can be found on Twitter as @cpcwrites but–consider this fair warning–it’s mostly wisecracks about McNuggets.
He can be found on Twitter as @cpcwrites but–consider this fair warning–it’s mostly wisecracks about McNuggets.
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
January 5, 2020
So glad to finally get my hands on this book!
Disclaimer time:
Anthologies, for me, are like an already picked-through bowl of mystery snack mix – sure, there is always going to be something in there that I really like, but if other sustenance is available I'm really not likely to put energy into sifting through the maybes. Short stories just aren't my favourite fare unless I have a specific hankering. Love for one of this anthology's authors (who is a sort of Strange Family to me) made me want to commit to the whole collection, though. So here we are.
I'm really quite pleased that I did.
The broader genre of 'imaginative fiction' ensured variety in the reading. There was a good mix of traditional SciFi and Fantasy, with a bit of Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Weird, Horror-ish, and some funky mash-ups thrown in for good measure. The central theme of “Onward” - translated as “hope” in the foreword – kept a mostly positive lilt to the feel of the collection. The stories were curated (or perhaps created?) impeccably for this theme, though a couple of authors managed some clever twists on the sentiment.
It is to be expected that not all of these stories can float my own particular little boat, but there is some great writing in this anthology and I think it has wide appeal for speculative fiction fans.
A quick highlight of some standouts:
New Moon Street Blues by Renee Bennett
Bennett really nailed the narrative voice in this quirky tale of competitive lounge singing in a slightly-off world. Simple and well-contained with a bit of cheeky fun.
The Next Big Thing by Brent Nichols
This feels confidently written and slots perfectly into a short story format. In a collection themed “onward”, I love the menacing reminder that hope is for the Capitalists, too.
Flashdown by Dale McShannock
An intricately created world; there are obviously full histories behind the snippets we see in this offering. I'd call it “Sci-fi Dystopian Uprising.” I came away fully satisfied with its completeness, and wanting to hear other stories from the world that birthed it.
The Marbler's Bride by Katie Harse
This was just really well done. Somehow subtle and raw at the same time, this story's vision emerged very artfully in the same manner as its subject matter. Complete and polished. I'm not one to be “moved”, but this was affecting.
Star Light, Star Bright by Robert J Sawyer
It took me a moment to wrap my head around the Dyson Sphere setting, but I really like this tale. There is a fabulous sense of wonder and exploration here. Knowledge and understanding are the 'conflicts' in this pioneering story, and that makes it refreshingly innocent in a good good way.
When the Suit No Longer Fits by Celeste A. Peters
Senior-esque main characters! I love it. The aging crime-fighting duo central to this yarn are adorably absurd. This story has good heart.
Mountain and Sea by Ashton Noone
There are some fabulous stylistic choices in this little work. The hope of togetherness and healing on a small scale, told in a big way. I liked it.
Let Nothing Ye Dismay by Chris Patrick Carolan
An imaginative blend of Icelandic folklore and historical Canada, framed as a kind of Christmastime detective story. A great mash-up! It was a fun finish to the collection, and in my case read close enough to the Holiday Season to be fittingly apropos.
This Small-Press collection feels hopeful all around. There truly are some great voices in this offering, and I give my appreciation to the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association for putting this out there.
Disclaimer time:
Anthologies, for me, are like an already picked-through bowl of mystery snack mix – sure, there is always going to be something in there that I really like, but if other sustenance is available I'm really not likely to put energy into sifting through the maybes. Short stories just aren't my favourite fare unless I have a specific hankering. Love for one of this anthology's authors (who is a sort of Strange Family to me) made me want to commit to the whole collection, though. So here we are.
I'm really quite pleased that I did.
The broader genre of 'imaginative fiction' ensured variety in the reading. There was a good mix of traditional SciFi and Fantasy, with a bit of Urban Fantasy, Dystopian, Weird, Horror-ish, and some funky mash-ups thrown in for good measure. The central theme of “Onward” - translated as “hope” in the foreword – kept a mostly positive lilt to the feel of the collection. The stories were curated (or perhaps created?) impeccably for this theme, though a couple of authors managed some clever twists on the sentiment.
It is to be expected that not all of these stories can float my own particular little boat, but there is some great writing in this anthology and I think it has wide appeal for speculative fiction fans.
A quick highlight of some standouts:
New Moon Street Blues by Renee Bennett
Bennett really nailed the narrative voice in this quirky tale of competitive lounge singing in a slightly-off world. Simple and well-contained with a bit of cheeky fun.
The Next Big Thing by Brent Nichols
This feels confidently written and slots perfectly into a short story format. In a collection themed “onward”, I love the menacing reminder that hope is for the Capitalists, too.
Flashdown by Dale McShannock
An intricately created world; there are obviously full histories behind the snippets we see in this offering. I'd call it “Sci-fi Dystopian Uprising.” I came away fully satisfied with its completeness, and wanting to hear other stories from the world that birthed it.
The Marbler's Bride by Katie Harse
This was just really well done. Somehow subtle and raw at the same time, this story's vision emerged very artfully in the same manner as its subject matter. Complete and polished. I'm not one to be “moved”, but this was affecting.
Star Light, Star Bright by Robert J Sawyer
It took me a moment to wrap my head around the Dyson Sphere setting, but I really like this tale. There is a fabulous sense of wonder and exploration here. Knowledge and understanding are the 'conflicts' in this pioneering story, and that makes it refreshingly innocent in a good good way.
When the Suit No Longer Fits by Celeste A. Peters
Senior-esque main characters! I love it. The aging crime-fighting duo central to this yarn are adorably absurd. This story has good heart.
Mountain and Sea by Ashton Noone
There are some fabulous stylistic choices in this little work. The hope of togetherness and healing on a small scale, told in a big way. I liked it.
Let Nothing Ye Dismay by Chris Patrick Carolan
An imaginative blend of Icelandic folklore and historical Canada, framed as a kind of Christmastime detective story. A great mash-up! It was a fun finish to the collection, and in my case read close enough to the Holiday Season to be fittingly apropos.
This Small-Press collection feels hopeful all around. There truly are some great voices in this offering, and I give my appreciation to the Imaginative Fiction Writers Association for putting this out there.
September 20, 2018
This is a cool collection of stories on the central theme of hope and optimism. The 21 pieces included are pretty evenly split between science fiction and fantasy, with a few stories that blur the lines. Six of the stories are from brand new writers and there are some very strong debuts here! Mark Phillip Ross, Dale McShannock, Alecyn Lea, Jim Grotkowski, and Dan Hampton are all strong new voices to watch for, and PJ Vernon's first novel is out soon. There are also stories from award winners/nominees like Robert J Sawyer, Chris Marrs, Lucas K Law, and Calvin D Jim, so it's a nice spread.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews